Rose Garden
by djenie
Summary: SG-1 gets some well-deserved recognition!
1. Chapter 1

**The members of SG1 get some well-deserved recognition! **

**This story is set soon after Nemesis and Small Victories (seasons 3/4 bridge), and there are very slight spoilers for those two episodes. My timing does not conform strictly to airdates of episodes.**

**This takes place in the same 'altered reality' as my story Runaway Star. It is set about three months earlier and it's completely **_**un**_**_necessary_ to read RS in order to understand this one. (But, of course I'd love it if you did!)**

**There are several characters of my own creation who have major roles in this story. **

**This story is completely written, and I will try to post a chapter each day. We have a blizzard (to quote the weather folks) headed our way, and if power outages are an issue it may slow me down.**

**I hope you enjoy! **

**xXx**

**ROSE GARDEN**

**Part I: Stargate Command; The Announcement**

**Thursday afternoon**

"You wanted to see me, sir?" Colonel Jack O'Neill asked as he appeared in the open door of General George Hammond's office.

Hammond looked up from his work. "I do, Colonel. You and your team."

"Shall I get them, General?"

"I've already sent for them, Jack. Come have a seat. We'll just wait until they get here."

"Yes, sir." O'Neill came into the office and sat in one of the chairs facing the General's desk, curious and restless.

Major Samantha Carter was the next to arrive about a minute later, with Teal'c practically on her heels. Hammond gestured the Major to the other visitor's chair, and Teal'c took up a parade rest position behind the two. The General returned his attention to the papers on his desk, as they waited for Daniel Jackson.

After another minute, O'Neill began to fidget. Carter folded her hands in her lap and watched the Colonel out of the corner of her eye. Teal'c remained motionless, staring into the middle distance.

Three minutes passed, and Hammond continued to focus on his work. O'Neill appeared ready to jump out of his chair. Carter was holding back a smile. Teal'c had not moved.

At five minutes, O'Neill stood up. "I'll go get him, sir."

"Sit down, Jack. He'll be here." Hammond nodded toward the chair, and Jack sat.

At seven minutes, when it seemed as if the Colonel was ready to self-destruct, Dr. Daniel Jackson appeared in the door, slightly breathless.

"Daniel," O'Neill hissed. "What took you so long?"

"My lab is ten floors up, Jack. And the elevator was tied up."

"Eight!" Jack snapped.

"What?"

"It's _eight_ floors! And Carter made it down in a timely fashion!"

"_A timely fashion?_" Daniel echoed in bemusement. "Did you just say 'a timely fashion'?"

"I was in the control room, sir," Carter pointed out.

"That's beside the point," O'Neill insisted.

"He said 'a timely fashion,' didn't he, Teal'c?"

"Indeed he did, DanielJackson."

The Colonel turned to glare at the two of them.

General Hammond cleared his throat and balefully regarded his flagship team. Or was it a kindergarten class? Sometimes he was hard put to tell the difference. "All right, people. You're here, that's what counts."

"Yes, sir," Carter was quick to reply. O'Neill shot her the kind of look the teacher's pet might get from the class screw-up.

"SG1, you need to prepare for a special...ah... mission," Hammond said. "We will be leaving here this evening—about ten hours from now."

"'We', sir?" O'Neill asked, puzzled. "You're going with us through the gate?"

"No, Colonel, we're not going through the Stargate," Hammond said. "We're going to Washington, DC. Our flight leaves at 1800."

SG1 exchanged surprised looks.

"Why are we going to Washington, sir?" O'Neill asked at last. "If you don't mind telling us?"

"Oh, I don't mind at all," Hammond said. "In fact, I'm very pleased to inform you that the President has invited you to come to the White House so that he can present you all with very special medals in recognition of your heroic actions dealing with the replicator threat in the incident of the infested Russian sub. Of course the citation won't say anything about aliens and spaceships and such. The ceremony will be in the Rose Garden." He looked around at the four stunned faces—well, three faces... Teal'c's expression did not change. "This is an order directly from your Commander-in-Chief, folks. Not negotiable. And bring your best duds."

**xXx**


	2. Chapter 2

**ROSE GARDEN**

**Part II: Washington D.C.; Dr. Mom**

**Friday morning**

Dr. Susanna Johnstone walked through the door of her office suite at precisely 7.45 a.m. Her receptionist, Erin Cross, was already behind her desk, organizing the files of today's patients. Dr. Johnstone had yet to beat Erin into the office in the morning. The first appointments were at 8:30, and Erin had always said she liked to be organized for the day. The doctor appreciated that about her. It made the office run smoothly.

Erin looked up and smiled. "Good morning, Doctor! Happy Birthday!"

"Good morning, Erin. You just had to mention that birthday, didn't you?" Susanna added with a smirk. "Old folks like me don't like to be reminded, you know. But thank you!"

Erin brushed the comment off with a laugh. "You know you look twenty years younger than you claim to be, Sue! In fact, I wonder sometimes if you're fibbing to us."

"I have a son almost as old as you say I look, so that's not likely," Susanna replied. "But thank you for the compliment, anyway." She headed down the hall, pausing to speak for a minute to the other members of her staff, and then turned toward her private office. The office was the smallest room in the suite; she spent very little time there. Dr. Johnstone was a _close-up-and-personal_ kind of physician, she preferred to interact with her patients in the examining room instead of from behind a desk. Once there, she set her briefcase down and removed the files she had taken home to review the night before.

She took off the linen jacket to the suit she was wearing and reached for the clean lab coat hanging on the back of the door. Slipping it on, she turned and came face to face with her reflection in the wall mirror. She paused and studied herself for a moment. Not bad for sixty-nine, although she knew that Erin had exaggerated wildly! Her short, dark brown hair was only lightly threaded with silver, and her skin was still firm and not sagging thanks to some _very_ fortunate bone structure! A little thin in the face, as she knew she was in body—but she'd never been curvy or voluptuous, instead her five foot eleven frame tended toward rangy, and she'd always been athletic. Her deep brown eyes were still clear and bright. The best part was that she was still healthy, strong and agile. _Enough!_ she thought, laughing at her own vanity, as she turned away from the self-examination. _Get to work!_

She sat down and put on her reading glasses, drawing the files toward her. On top of the stack was the birthday card she had received two days earlier from Jon. It made her smile to see the picture on the front.

"To my Dr. Mom" it said, above a cartoon sketch of a woman in a white coat, juggling a stethoscope, blood pressure cuff, syringe and several other medical implements. "Happyest Birthday!"

He had drawn the picture himself on the front of a plain note card. He was an artist, like his father had been, even though Jon almost never utilized his talent. He'd gotten his physical attributes from her, his face and form clearly marking him as her son. His largely ignored artistic side came from Conor. Indeed, her late ex-husband had been very creative. She had to grant him that.

Inside the card, Jon had written; "Hi Mom! Happy, happy, happy Birthday! You deserve lots of Happys! I hope you aren't working too hard—but I know that's a hopeless hope. When are you gonna to take a break and come out here? You need to get away from the City for a while. We can go camping! I really enjoyed my visit with you last month—sorry I missed Pop and Kate, tho. Do something nice for yourself on your birthday! Love to both you and Pop. J."

The note brought another smile to her face. Her communication with her son was always in the form of short notes like this, or long late-night video chats, both of which happened more frequently than she'd ever have hoped for in the past. Thirty-plus years ago she was living in a loveless, abusive marriage, and he was a rebellious teen, acting out in wildly inappropriate ways; at that time she had despaired of ever having a meaningful relationship with her son. Those years had culminated in an acrimonious divorce for her, and an eventual career choice for him that shouldn't really have surprised her. They had been through some rocky times, but they'd gotten past it, and ultimately forged a strong, loving bond.

Sue set the card to the side, standing it up so the picture was visible. She would call him tonight to thank him. As she was reaching for the topmost file folder her cell phone rang, the one she used only for private calls. She took it out of her briefcase and flipped it open.

"Hello."

"Hi, Mom. Happy Birthday!"

"Jon!" she exclaimed. "What a surprise! I was just looking at your great card. Is everything okay, darling?"

"Everything's fine, Mom. Guess where I am?"

"Ahhh... I don't know. Working?"

"Nope," he replied, and she could hear the grin in his voice. "I'm at the Hay-Adams, here in D.C. Got in too late last night, or I'd have called you then."

"Seriously! You're in town? You were just here a few weeks ago. And why are you at a hotel? You know you can stay at the house."

"I know. This is official business. There are several of us together. We're only gonna be here until tomorrow morning."

"Oh." If it was official, he probably wouldn't have time to visit. She tried to mask her disappointment. "I see. So you're going to be busy."

"Yeah. But I wondered if you're free for lunch? Can you meet me about one, maybe?"

"Of course! Where would you like to meet?"

"Lafayette Park? We can go to that little place on Vermont that you like."

"Perfect," she said. "I have the weekly appointment with Henry just before that, so it's close by. Meet you at Kosciuszko's statue?"

"Okay. See you then," he agreed, grinning.

She hung up with a huge smile. Her day had just gotten brighter!

Three hours later, Dr. Johnstone was finished with her morning appointments, and had received text updates on her hospital patients. After checking the updates on her active patients, she organized the charts, exchanged the white coat for her jacket, and left her office, stopping at the reception desk on her way out. "Erin, I'm leaving now. I'm due at the House at twelve. And then I'm meeting my son for lunch. If there's an emergency, you know how to get me. Otherwise I'll see you Monday. Have a good weekend!"

**xXx**

Major Samantha Carter stood in front of the full-length mirror in her hotel room and examined her reflection. She straightened her dress uniform's skirt once again, smoothed her stockings carefully. She tucked in her blouse, making sure it lay perfectly across her flat stomach. She leaned closer and checked her make-up. Satisfied at last, she took her uniform jacket from its hanger and put it on carefully, buttoning it up.

There was a knock on her door, and O'Neill's voice from the hall. "Ready, Carter? The car should be here by now."

"Be right there, sir." She took her dress cap from the bed and settled it on her head at the proper angle, gave herself one last glance and went to open the door.

The Colonel stood there in the hall, in spit and polish dress blues, his cover under his arm. Sam took a second to absorb just how good he looked in the uniform! "I'm ready, sir."

His eyes swept over her and a smile touched his lips. "Lookin' good, Carter."

"So are you, sir. If I may say so." She pulled the door shut behind her.

Daniel and Teal'c were waiting down the hall, and they all headed for the elevator.

General Hammond met them in the lobby of the hotel, and together they went out and got into the limousine that had been sent to take them to the White House.

"This is ridiculous," O'Neill groused. "It's two blocks! We coulda walked!"

"Don't knock it, Jack," Daniel said. "How often do you get to ride in a Presidential limousine?"

"Why are we going now, anyway?" Jack asked. "The ceremony isn't until three o'clock. I have somewhere important I need to go..."

"What else could possibly be more important, Jack?" Daniel demanded.

O'Neill shot him an irritated look.

"The President's secretary said President Hayes wants to meet with all of you in private for a few minutes ahead of time, Colonel," Hammond said. The call had come from the White House just over an hour ago, causing SG1 to scramble to be ready. "He wants to personally express his appreciation for your courageous action in saving earth from invasion by the replicators."

O'Neill looked over at the General, a bemused expression on his face.

"Just go with the flow, sir," Carter advised with what she hoped was an encouraging smile, wondering where it was he had planned to go.

**xXx**

"Your blood pressure's up a bit this week, Henry," Susanna Johnstone said, removing the cuff from the President's arm and replacing the instrument in her bag. "Are you taking your medication regularly?"

"Just like you told me to, Sue," Henry Hayes replied, rolling his sleeve back down. "Morning and night. My wife sees to that."

"Good for Marty. But you really should make it a point to relax more. Have you taken my advice and tried meditation?"

"I don't have time," he objected. "Sitting around doing nothing doesn't go with this job."

"It isn't 'doing nothing,' Henry. And a little bit goes a long way. Thirty minutes of meditation a day could lower your pressure ten points—and that ten points is all you really need." She reached for his wrist to check his pulse. "Hold still," she ordered, when he continued to fumble his shirt buttons.

"God, you're pushy!" he complained. "Bossy Suzy! Just like when we were in junior high school!"

Her eyes narrowed threateningly. "Mr. President, not even _you_ get to call me Suzy!" She grinned. "Unless of course, you want to be publicly reminded of _your_ junior high nickname!"

That made him laugh out loud. He did so much enjoy her visits! It got very boring to be surrounded by people who didn't push back when you pushed. But Sue could always be counted on to fix _that! _ Yes, indeed—it would be very embarrassing to be called 'Spanky' in front of anyone!

Henry Hayes and Susanna Johnstone had been raised in the same small Minnesota town, had gone through school together—had even dated briefly at one point. Their mothers had been best friends. He had to watch his step—she knew all his secrets!

**xXx**


	3. Chapter 3

**I want to thank my friends lauriesf and TamaraJ for reading this story a while ago and giving me feedback! Really appreciate it, gals! **

**Thank you everyone for your kind reviews!**

**ROSE GARDEN**

**Part III: West Wing; Surprise Meeting**

SG1's limo was met at the White House's West Wing entrance and the team was escorted inside, through the rooms and corridors to the Executive Secretary's waiting room outside of the Oval Office. An attractive woman dressed in a business suit greeted them and offered them coffee.

"The President will be with you shortly," she assured them.

O'Neill was fidgeting almost before his backside hit the chair. Carter sent him a sympathetic look, then glanced at the clock on the wall. 12:15. Their appointment was for 12:30.

Teal'c declined a chair and stood with his hands behind his back. He looked very regal in the understated African-style turban they had decided he would wear. It concealed his tattoo perfectly, and he would not be required to remove it. He wore his own unique cross between dress uniform and Jaffa formal attire, with the insignia of a Major, the honorary rank given him soon after he joined the Tau'ri team.

Every time she looked at Daniel, Carter had to smile. He was dressed in his best suit—and yet still managed to look like a rumpled student on a field trip! His eyes moved constantly, taking in their surroundings.

General Hammond, Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter were all in dress blues; they wore their ribbons and medals—an addition that the Colonel had groused about loudly.

Carter settled into the proffered straight chair—you were clearly not supposed to get too comfortable while you waited to see the President!—hands folded in her lap and knees together. She couldn't help glancing over as the Colonel clasped and unclasped his hands. His eyes cut her way and their gazes met. He grinned.

Firm footsteps approached in the corridor outside the open door, and a moment later a tall broad-shouldered man, also in USAF dress blues, stepped into the room and paused. A forest of ribbons decorated his chest; four stars gleamed on each shoulder. He was in his late sixties, with white hair, and a rugged, deeply lined, very well-known face. They all recognized General David L. Stewart, Air Force Chief of Staff.

Carter and Hammond were on their feet at attention in an instant, O'Neill a slightly more leisurely beat behind. Teal'c straightened. Daniel stood, and clasped his hands in front of him.

Stewart's gaze ran over them quickly. "At ease, people," he said, and nodded at Hammond. "George."

"General," Hammond replied.

Stewart came into the room and stopped before O'Neill. "Jack," he said with a smile. "Good to see you, son. Sorry I missed you the last couple of times you were here."

"Hey, Pop," Jack replied with a grin. "How's it goin'? Not retired yet, I see."

The older man laughed and put a hand on Jack's shoulder. "Your mom won't let me. Says she doesn't want me underfoot all day."

"Is that a joke? Like _she's_ gonna stay at home!"

"Right." Stewart pulled Jack toward him and into a bear hug which Jack returned affectionately.

Carter and Daniel had been watching this exchange with shock. General Stewart was O'Neill's father?! Carter glanced over at Hammond, and it was clear that this was no surprise to her general.

When Jack and Stewart separated, the General turned toward Hammond, extending his hand. "It's been a while, George."

"It certainly has, sir," Hammond replied, shaking the offered hand. "May I introduce SG1?"

"Absolutely! That's why I'm here."

"You know Jack, of course," Hammond said, unnecessarily. "And these are the members of his team." He introduced them, taking time to describe their roles and accomplishments, within classified limits since there were White House staff members in the room. Stewart spoke briefly with each one, enough to make it obvious he was well informed about them and their jobs.

"It's a real honor to meet you all," Stewart said finally. "I feel as if I know you already—Jack has talked so much about you the past couple of years."

Daniel and Sam were stunned by this statement, and shot 'just wait' looks at O'Neill. "Uh... thank you, sir," Carter managed.

"I'd like to return the compliment, General Stewart," Daniel said, a bit more quick-witted, "but the truth is, Jack has said _absolutely nothing _about _you_." This last was accompanied by a glare at Jack, which made both Generals laugh heartily.

"Hey," Jack defended himself. "You never asked."

Daniel just rolled his eyes.

**xXx**

"What are you thinking about, Henry?" Susanna asked, noting the smile on his face as she took her fingers from his wrist and turned to write down the numbers in his medical record.

"Just remembering when we were young, Sue. The way our mothers tried to get us together."

"That was _so_ long ago!"

He nodded. "More than fifty years. Did you go to our 50th Reunion? What was it—two years ago?"

"Three," she corrected. "No I didn't go. David was in Saudi Arabia, and I had just moved my office to the new location. Too much to do."

"Isn't there always?"

"Yes." She closed the chart and slipped it into her bag.

"And it's exhausting," he said, scrubbing a hand over his face. "Especially at my age. By the way, thank you for the birthday card last week. Not that I needed the reminder. And yours is today, am I right?"

"Yes, you are. Sixty-nine today."

"Sixty-nine? That can't be right! And I'm three years older than you?" They had graduated high school the same year because Susanna had skipped grades. "Time to retire!" he declared.

"And when is that going to happen, Mr. President?" she asked, grinning.

"Someday. Maybe," he said. He smirked. "I have no comment at this time," he added in an exaggerated 'public-statement voice.'

"Anything you say to me falls under patient confidentiality, Henry. We only talk about your health, remember?" She teased him as she closed up her bag. "And speaking of which—seriously, Mr. President, you need to find ways to relax a bit. And get more exercise. I'll bet your afternoon agenda is full of stressful meetings."

"Actually, not today," he said, smiling as he recalled the day's schedule. "Today I'm going to award medals to a group of real heroes! Something that doesn't happen often enough!"

"That's wonderful, Henry!" Susanna told him enthusiastically. "You should plan an activity like that at least once a week." She stood, and so did he. "I'll see you next Friday, same time?"

"Yes." He walked with her toward the door. "What are you doing this afternoon? Would you like to come to the ceremony? It's in the Rose Garden at three."

"Oh, gosh! Thank you, Henry. Any other day I'd jump at the chance! But I'm having lunch with Jon."

"Your boy?"

"Well, he's hardly a boy anymore—but yes."

"I thought he lived out west somewhere."

"He does. In Colorado. But he's in DC on business—called me this morning and surprised me."

"How's he doing?" Hayes asked. "I'll bet it's been thirty years since I've seen him. He was just a kid."

"He's fine."

"Good-looking kid, too, as I remember. Looked a lot like you, didn't he? Not much like—Colin?"

"Conor."

"Right." He smiled. "I'll see you next week, Sue."

"Next week." She reached for the doorknob, twisted it and had the door open a few inches when Hayes spoke to her again;

"Oh, Sue."

She stopped and turned toward him, holding the door partly open.

"Happy Birthday!"

"Thank you, Henry."

**xXx**

When the door to the Oval Office opened a few inches, nearly everyone's attention shifted slightly in that direction. Only General Stewart, who was turned away, speaking to Jack at that moment, did not react.

Susanna walked out into the anteroom where she saw several people standing—including the unmistakable broad- shouldered form of her husband! David's back was to her and he was focused on someone she could not see because his body blocked her view.

"David!" She exclaimed, pleased surprise in her voice. "What are you doing here?"

"I called him." The speaker took a step to the side, and she saw his face.

"Jon!" she cried, opening her arms.

A moment later Jack swept her up into a giant hug. He was grinning. "Surprised?"

"Yes! Very! I was looking forward to meeting you and Kosciuszko in the park! And here you are." She stepped back to look at him. "You look very handsome in the uniform—and all those ribbons!" She turned to her husband, kissing him quickly on the cheek. "David, I think he's going to catch up to you pretty soon."

President Hayes was in the doorway. "General Stewart," he greeted. "General Hammond."

"Mr. President," they both replied.

"Sue," Hayes said curiously. "I didn't realize you knew Colonel O'Neill."

"Of course I do, Henry," Susanna replied. "This is Jon..."

"Jon?" he repeated, then seemed to catch on. "You mean your boy Jon...?"

"Boy?" Jack echoed under his breath.

"Yes. My son Jon, Henry." She turned to look at Jack. "I don't understand, though. What are you doing here?"

"Well..."

Hayes laughed. "Jack and his team are the heroes I was telling you about. The ones I'm giving medals to later today. Jack, I had no idea Sue was your mother. Why didn't you say something?"

"I never thought about it, Mr. President. You and I have only talked once or twice... It wasn't relevant."

Henry nodded. "I suppose. Well, everybody come on into the office." With an expansive gesture, the President opened the door wide and they all trooped inside-including Susanna at Hayes' urging.

Daniel and Sam both managed to get close enough to Jack to jab their elbows in his ribs. "Okay, guys, okay!" he hissed, causing eyes to turn in his direction.

"Problem, Jack?" Hayes asked.

"Sorry, sir," he replied quickly. Then; "Um...Mr. President," O'Neill added, once they were in the office.

"Yes, Jack?" Hayes replied.

"Would you mind if I made some introductions here? Before my team decides to beat me up." He edged away from Daniel and Carter, who both now looked horribly embarrassed despite their obvious annoyance at him.

The President chuckled. "Sure. Go ahead."

"Thank you, sir." Jack turned to Susanna. "Mom. I'd like you to meet the team that I've told you so much about. This is Major Samantha Carter, Dr. Daniel Jackson, and Major Murray Teal'c. Guys, this is my mother, Dr. Susanna Johnstone, the President's physician. And of course you've already met my step-father, General Stewart." He was blushing. "Sorry if that was awkward, folks. Really..."

There were brief, pleasant greeting exchanged, and then Jack turned to Hayes again. "Thank you for letting me do that, sir. You may have saved my life."

"Well, Jack, you've saved your share of lives. It's the least I could do."

**xXx**


	4. Chapter 4

**ROSE GARDEN**

**Part IV: The Rose Garden; Ceremony**

The White House Rose Garden lived up to its name that afternoon. Along the Colonnade, red and white striped 'Fourth of July' roses climbed nearly to the roof on the trellises set against each column. In front of these were large bushes of pink and apricot 'Day Breakers' and pinky yellow 'Honey Perfumes' filling in the bulk of the side garden's space. Along the edges, a rainbow of smaller varieties captured the eye with yellow, red, white and pink.

A low platform was situated at the end of the lawn, near the entrance to the Oval Office, and on it stood a podium adorned with the Presidential Seal. Several rows of chairs were set up on the grass facing the podium.

By 2.40, General Hammond was seated in the first row, along with General Stewart and Dr. Johnstone. Several Members of Congress and other dignitaries were gathering, and taking seats. Well-known faces could be seen—the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs among them.

SG1 was waiting in the Colonnade, outside the Oval Office. Carter's face lit up happily when she saw her father, General Jacob Carter, escorted out to sit beside General Hammond. And moments later, they all smiled as Catherine Langford and her husband Ernest Littlefield were also conducted to front row seats. The First Lady, Marty Hayes, emerged, greeted the family members, and sat beside Susanna.

The last person escorted to the front row was a tall, dark haired young woman also in Air Force dress blues, with captain's bars on her shoulders. She embraced Stewart and Susanna, and Marty Hayes, and then looked around eagerly as she demanded, "Well, where is he?" Susanna pointed to where O'Neill was already moving in her direction, and the captain practically leapt the platform to throw herself into his arms. They hugged warmly, then stood back to look into one another's faces. At that point the other members of SG1 were able to see the strong resemblance between the two.

"Another family member we never knew existed," Carter murmured.

"I believe O'Neill may be in for some interrogation," Teal'c commented.

"We'll get him later," Daniel promised.

Jack walked the captain back to the seats, and stood for a few moments speaking to the guests; he greeted the First Lady, hugged Catherine and shook Ernest's and Jacob's hands. An aide came up and tapped his shoulder and whispered to him, and O'Neill nodded, kissed his mom's cheek and that of the young captain, and followed the aide back to the colonnade.

SG1 was directed to four chairs set up on the platform facing the guests. Daniel looked at his watch. 2:58.

Promptly at 3:00 the door to the Oval Office opened, and President Hayes stepped out. Everyone rose as the President crossed the platform to the podium.

"Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome to the Rose Garden. Please have a seat," Hayes invited comfortably, and waited until everybody had done so.

"I'm very happy to be here today," he began. "This is the kind of occasion I look forward to, and wish I could preside over more often. It is an honor and a pleasure today to introduce to you a team of true heroes. You know, sometimes it seems as if we don't think in terms of heroes much anymore. But they are still out there, doing the very best job they know how, in order to keep you and me and this country—indeed, this world—safe. The people I want you to meet today have risked their lives many times in this service. They have all been wounded and fought their way back against grievous odds. They have each shown great courage under fire, and more people than you can imagine owe them their lives. The nature of their work forbids me from giving details of their accomplishments, but let me assure you, just because an achievement does not make the headlines, that doesn't mean it is any less valiant." Hayes paused for an instant, and smiled. "Come to think of it, valiant isn't a word we use often nowadays, either, but it is the perfect word to describe these four people." He turned and gestured to SG1, who were standing before their chairs.

"First I want to present Dr. Daniel Jackson, a civilian scientist—archeologist and linguist—whose contributions to the cause of freedom are almost beyond imagining. Dr. Jackson, would you please come forward."

Daniel walked over to stand beside the President. An aide handed Hayes a small box, from which he drew a star-shaped medal attached to a blue ribbon.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this is the United States Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest non-military honor that can be given to a person by our government. It is with great humility and gratitude that I offer this medal to you, Dr. Jackson, in recognition of your contributions and sacrifices."

The President placed the medal around Daniel's neck, and shook his hand warmly. Daniel thanked him and resumed his place amid applause.

After a moment Hayes continued. "Ladies and gentlement, I would now like to present Major Murray Teal'c, a brave soldier who comes from foreign parts, and who has joined with this team in the fight to be free. Major, if you would come forward."

Teal'c walked across the stage and stopped before the President, bowing respectfully. He, too, was presented the Medal of Freedom, which he received with another gracious bow.

The President turned back to the audience. "Now, ladies and gentlemen, I am in the enviable position of being able to present to two fine soldiers our Nation's highest military award, the United States Medal of Honor. Major Samantha Carter, would you please come forward." Sam's heart was pounding as she stepped up to the podium.

"Up until now, only one woman in our history has received the Medal of Honor," Hayes said, "and that was a civilian surgeon in the Union Army during the Civil War, Mary Edwards Walker. Today I am proud to be able to present the second Medal of Honor given to a woman, to Major Samantha Carter, scientist and soldier, for her outstanding courage in the face of overwhelming odds."

Sam had tears in her eyes as the President placed the Medal around her neck, and shook her hand.

The President waited until she had returned to stand with her team, and then he continued. "Our last honoree is a soldier of many years experience, a man who has fought on many battlefields and endured tremendous hardship. Colonel Jonathan O'Neill—Jack, would you please join me here at the podium."

When Jack did so, Hayes reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Jack is the leader of this extraordinary team." He grinned. "I recently learned that I actually knew him when he was a teenager. And believe me, Jack, you have come a long way!"

A light chuckle ran through the group. Susanna bit her lip and smiled.

"Why, thank you, Mr. President. It was kind of you to notice," Jack replied with a touch of snarkiness, and the chuckle grew to a laugh. Hayes' laugh was the loudest.

"That aside," Hayes went on, when it was quiet, "it is with true gratitude on behalf of the people of the United States, that I present you, Colonel Jonathan J. O'Neill, with this Medal of Honor, and offer you, as well as your team my personal thanks for all you have done for us." With that he set the Medal around Jack's neck and shook his hand. Hayes led the applause, and stepped to the side.

"Thank you, Mr. President," O'Neill spoke with sincerity this time. Stepping up to the podium, he turned to face the audience. "My team and I are honored to be here to receive these medals," he began. "It's very humbling to be singled out like this, especially for me. President Hayes introduced me as the leader of this team. But a leader is useless without good people behind him. And I have three of the best. They are the heart and mind and soul of the team. I'm just the dumb guy who doesn't know any better than to walk first into an unknown situation." That brought a chuckle. Jack glanced back at his team. "These people are the best back-up a soldier could ask for. And behind them are hundreds of thousands—millions—of heroic Americans, past and present, who have defended our freedom and way of life to the best of their ability. Not just servicemen and -women—but mothers and fathers, teachers, scientists, builders, doctors, businessmen, and too many more for me to name. They're all heroes. They encourage us and lift us up every day, and remind us of why we do what we do." Jack turned fully toward President Hayes. "So, if it's all right with you, Mr. President, I'd like to accept this medal on behalf of all of those important people who stand behind us, and support us and keep us going. Thank you." He stepped away from the podium as the audience applauded.

Hayes signaled for the rest of the team to join O'Neill at the front of the stage. When they had assembled, he turned to the audience. "Ladies and Gentlemen, please rise to congratulate our team of heroes."

The audience rose to their feet, those in the military came to attention with a smart salute, and the civilians, including Hayes, applauded enthusiastically.

**xXx**


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks to everyone who is reading this story! I'm glad you like it and I really appreciate your comments!**

**This chapter has just a little bit of angst in it. Sorry—couldn't be avoided. We're talking about Jack, after all.**

**ROSE GARDEN**

**Part V: Garden Room; Social Hour**

"Wow! I can't believe you got away with being sarcastic to the President of the United States!" Daniel exclaimed, shaking his head.

"Indeed," Teal'c agreed.

"And he actually laughed!" Sam added.

They were in the Garden Room of the White House, where a small reception was being held after the ceremony.

"The Man has a sense of humor," Jack cracked.

"For which you can be very grateful!" The dark-haired captain from the audience came from behind Jack and slipped her arm around his waist. He grinned and hugged her shoulders. "Are you going to introduce me properly?" she asked.

"Sure. That's Sam, Daniel and Teal'c." He pointed to them as he spoke. "Guys, this is my baby sister, Kate. Captain Kathleen Stewart." He leaned down and kissed her cheek.

Kate flashed a smile that was a duplicate of Jack's. "It's an honor to finally meet all of you," she said sincerely.

"Ah, yes. Because Jack has talked about us so much," Daniel said with irony.

Daniel was startled to see Kate's expression soften at his somewhat cutting remark.

She shot a glance at her brother's face. "Please don't be mad at him, Dr. Jackson," she said with a faintly sad smile. "Talking about personal stuff has never been Jack's strong suit."

"Hey, Little-bit!" Jack objected, elbowing her gently. "Cut that out! I'll tell Mom on you."

He said it lightly, but they could see he was uncomfortable. Despite the fact that he had some sympathy for Jack's reluctance to talk about personal matters, Daniel couldn't help thinking it served him right for keeping everything about his family a secret from his best friends.

**xXx**

An hour or so later Daniel found himself standing next to Kate Stewart as the gathering began to wind down. He cast about for a topic of conversation other than medals, or himself, which seemed to be what everyone he had met so far wanted to discuss.

"So, did you and Jack grow up on military bases?" he finally asked.

"I did. Jack grew up in Chicago. You do know that he's my half-brother, right? We have different fathers. He was nearly sixteen when Mom and Dad got married."

"Right. Sorry, it's just that he calls the General 'Pop', I guess I wasn't thinking."

"Jack always thought of Dad as more of a father to him than his own was."

"Umm... yeah. He's quite a bit older than you." _Well, duh, Daniel—that's pretty obvious! _he thought to himself. _Try and find something intelligent to say!_

She didn't seem fazed, however, and simply responded to his implied question. "Sixteen years older. Mom divorced Conor O'Neill when Jack was 14, and Conor died a few months later. I guess the marriage had gotten pretty bad. Conor was an artist—a good one at one time, Mom said. But then things went bad for him, and he started drinking, and became abusive. She never told me a lot of details, and Jack never talked about it at all, but Dad has told me that things got pretty rough. They still lived in Chicago then—Jack was born there. After the divorce Mom and Jack moved to Mom's hometown, in Minnesota. Dad was stationed nearby, at Wheeler Air Force Base, and they met and got married."

Daniel was staring at her with his mouth hanging slightly open. "Wow! Do you realize you've just told me more about Jack O'Neill in two minutes than he's told me in the entire six years I've known him!"

Kate smiled ruefully. "Well, that's my brother. He never talks about himself. I'm sure you noticed that. You've known him for six years? So you know about...?"

"About Charlie?" he asked quietly. "Yes. I met him right after that happened. I'm very sorry. That must have been so hard for you and your family."

"Charlie was a great kid," she said with a soft smile. "It just about killed Jack, you know."

"Yes. I do know." Daniel wondered if she knew just how close it came, but glancing at her face he could tell that even if she did not know the details, she certainly had understood her brother's despair.

"It was horrible for all of us—but especially Jack. He blamed himself. Not just because of the gun, but because he had spent so much time away from them. He said he put his military service ahead of his family—and if he'd been home more..." She let her voice trail off. "Right after the funeral he disappeared for almost a week," Kate added after a moment.

_Abydos,_ Daniel thought.

"I've never seen my parents so scared," she went on. "He never told us where he'd been, but he seemed better when he came back." She stopped then and drew a deep breath.

They were quiet for a couple of minutes, and then she spoke again. "He and Sara split up soon after. That made me sad. I love Sara. We're still close."

"I think Jack and Sara have become friends again," Daniel commented. "Or at least worked through some of the feelings. I know they talk now and then."

"Yes. Sara mentioned that they had talked. I'm glad," Kate said. "I graduated from the Academy the year before... Charlie."

"Jack must have been really proud of you."

"Actually, he did his best to convince me not to stay in the Air Force. He was really upset with me. He retired after Charlie died. I was very surprised a year or so later when he re-upped."

"That's about the time we first worked on a project together," Daniel said vaguely.

She turned and looked at him curiously. "Yeah, about that... I googled you, Dr. Jackson. You're an Egyptologist. You dig up old ruins. You study ancient languages. I just have to wonder what kind of project you and my military-minded brother might have _ever_ worked on together. Deep-space radar telemetry must be waay more complicated than I ever realized."

"Ah...hmm." Daniel felt himself blush, and cleared his throat awkwardly. But then he saw her smile.

"Don't worry," she assured him with a twinkle in her eye. "I know the meaning of the word _classified_. I'm just pulling your leg."

"Stop giving Daniel a hard time, squirt." Jack had approached without their notice, Sam at his side. "That's my job."

"Just talking, big brother," she said innocently. "Hello, Major Carter. I haven't had a chance to congratulate you!"

"Thank you, Captain Stewart. I'm really just overwhelmed," Sam admitted.

"So what were you two talking about?" Jack asked his sister.

"Dr. Jackson was telling me about Egyptian ruins and ancient languages," Kate replied, smiling.

Jack eyed Daniel and Kate suspiciously.

Daniel suppressed a smile. "Please call me Daniel," he said to Kate.

"Only if you'll call me Kate," she replied. And they nodded at each other in agreement.

"So now that you know each other's names..." Jack said sarcastically, waving a dismissive hand. "My parents have invited the team, and General Hammond, to dinner tonight. And the squirt here will be there." He nudged Kate's shoulder. "Catherine, Ernest and Jacob, also. Did you meet them, Katy?"

"I know General Carter, but I've only exchanged greetings with your other friends."

"You'll like them. It's informal, and we'll have plenty of time to go back to the hotel first, and change into something more comfortable." Jack said this last more for his own benefit than Daniel's.

"And I will meet you at home," Kate said. "It was nice talking to you, Daniel."

"I enjoyed it very much, Kate. See you later."

"Congratulations again, Major Carter."

"My name's Sam. There's no reason to be formal."

"Thanks, Sam. Please call me Kate." With a quick wave she was gone to find her parents.

"Your sister is very beautiful," Daniel commented, his eyes following her as she walked away.

"What?" Jack demanded, rounding on Daniel. _"What!?"_

Daniel's gaze swung over to Jack's face, and he suppressed a grin. "Huh. Did I say that out loud?"

Jack glared at him.

"Is she... umm... attached?" Daniel continued, the smirk on his face growing more obvious.

"Daniel!" Jack punched him in the arm.

"Ow!" Daniel protested, laughing.

Sam giggled. "What's the matter, sir? Why don't you answer the question?"

"Are you kidding? You think I want Spacemonkey askin' my sister out on a date?"

"I didn't say I was going to ask her out," Daniel said innocently. "I just asked if she was with anybody. Does she live here in D.C.?"

"See? He's quizzing me about her!" Jack growled.

"How old is she?" Daniel continued, seriously struggling to hold in his mirth.

Jack stared at him in disbelief for a moment, then huffed, turned around and stalked away.

Daniel looked slightly startled. "Do you think he's really upset?"

"I don't think so," Sam said. "I mean, you were kidding around, right?" When he didn't answer, she looked closer at him. "You _were _kidding, weren't you, Daniel?"

He hesitated. "Well, she is beautiful." He looked at Sam and shrugged. "She's probably stationed in Alaska, though."

"You like her!" Sam exclaimed with a widening grin. It was the first time she'd seen Daniel pay that much attention to a woman since Sha're died, nearly a year earlier.

"What's not to like? She's friendly, smart, attractive. We had a really nice conversation."

"What did you talk about?" she asked.

"You're not going to believe it, but we talked about Jack."

Sam's eyes widened. "Really? Like what?"

"Well, to start with, they're half-siblings..." Daniel began.

**xXx**

**Sorry I'm so late today getting this chapter posted. I'll try to be better tomorrow. Just one more chapter after this and the story will be finished.**


	6. Chapter 6

**I just realized that I have a seventh chapter written for this story. It was originally going to be a one-shot, but it got too long, and I thought I had divided the whole thing into six parts. So this is the next-to-last chapter. Unfortunately, I'm going to be away all day tomorrow and won't be able to post. It will probably be Sunday afternoon before I can get the last chapter up. Sorry for my poor planning—but maybe some of you will enjoy the fact that there's another chapter coming up.**

**As always, thank you so much for reading my stories!**

**XXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**ROSE GARDEN**

**Part VI: Home; Family**

General David Stewart and Dr. Susanna Johnstone lived in one of the fabulous old neighborhoods of Washington, where large, immaculate houses sat on generous, well-kept lawns, and the streets were tree-lined and quiet. Their house was three stories high, with sprawling single-story wings on each side. It was built of deep-red brick with white trim, and set well back from the street. The large front lawn was bordered by a wrought-iron fence, the gates currently open.

Sam had ridden from the hotel in a cab with her Father. When they arrived, she saw that Jack, Teal'c and General Hammond were just exiting their own taxi. Daniel had taken a third taxi to pick up Catherine and Ernest, who were staying in a different hotel.

"Nice digs, huh," Jacob commented as they drew to a stop in the driveway. "So Jack never mentioned anything to you guys about his family?"

"No. But, it's really _his_ business, Dad," Sam said, paying the driver.

"You've all been working together, what, three years now. And from what I can see, you're all pretty good friends. Just seems odd, that's all."

Sam climbed out of the cab and glanced up at the house. She'd changed into a blue sundress and a pair of flat sandals. Jack had said casual, and she hadn't brought that many clothes, but as she looked around at the elegance of the house and lawns, she hoped this wasn't _too_ casual. Her dad in slacks and a white short sleeved shirt looked strange to her, since she was used to the Tok'ra leather jerkin he'd habitually worn for the last two years. Even seeing him in his dress blues at the medal ceremony had made her blink.

Her worry about her attire vanished, however, when Kate, Susanna and General Stewart appeared to greet them. Susanna was clad similarly to Sam, in a coral-colored sleeveless summer dress. Her daughter was wearing a bright red tank top, and a pair of black shorts, which showed off the longest legs Sam had ever seen. She grinned, hoping she was nearby when Daniel caught his first glimpse of Kate in those shorts!

General Stewart, General Hammond, Jacob Carter, and Colonel O'Neill all appeared to have picked their off-duty clothes from the same rack—tan or grey slacks and short-sleeved white shirts! Teal'c was the only exception with a skin-tight black tee and ABU trousers. He'd traded his dress boots for athletic shoes, and he still wore the African headpiece.

The Stewarts led their guests into the house. A pleasant-faced middle-aged woman dressed in very tasteful grey and black held the door open for them. Her eyes lit up when she caught sight of Jack at the rear of the group.

"Mrs. Mallory," he said, hugging her. "Good to see you."

"Welcome home, Jon," she replied warmly.

"How's Mr. M?" he asked. When he'd been here a few weeks ago, her husband was recovering from an appendectomy, and she had taken time off.

"He's fine, thank you."

"Tell him I said hello."

All the household staff smiled when they saw Jack, Sam noticed as they progressed through the house, and he greeted each of them by name.

They followed the General through to a large, bright sunroom, which opened out onto a multi-level deck and patio at the rear of the house. At one side was an oversized grill, tended by a young man in grey and black, and the smell of cooking filled the air. Nearby a long buffet table stood ready to receive food. There were comfortable chairs and sofas scattered about the space, along with many beautiful flowering plants. There were also several patio tables set for dinner.

Beyond the edges of the patio was a large lawn, dotted with a few shade trees. A tall hedge around the boundaries of the property screened the area from the neighbors.

"The food will be ready in half an hour or so," General Stewart told them. "Sue is making sure everything is organized. There'll be snacks out in a few minutes. And there are coolers over by the table; beer and soda, iced tea. If you don't see what you want, ask—it's probably in the house. And yes, Jack—there's Guinness!"

"Sweet!" O'Neill grinned. "Can I bring anybody anything? Carter?" He waved a questioning hand at the others.

Carter asked for diet soda, and Jacob for water. Stewart and Hammond declined.

"Iced tea," Teal'c decided.

"I'll take a beer," Kate said, joining them.

"You're too young to drink beer," Jack replied with a smirk. "I'll bring you a soda."

"Jack!" she warned, leveling a baleful glare at him. "Guinness!"

"Ginger ale," he shot back, and backed away when she aimed a swat at him. He dodged to the side, and jumped off of the raised patio onto the lawn, with her right on his heels.

General Stewart chuckled. "I apologize. They always seem to regress to twelve-year-olds when they get together."

Hammond smiled. "Colonel O'Neill does occasionally behave like an adolescent."

"Well, he never really got to be a kid when he should have," Stewart commented.

Sam remembered what Daniel had told her that he had learned from Kate about Susanna's first marriage, and felt a stab of sympathy for O'Neill. She looked out at the two of them, and found herself smiling to see this carefree side of the man she'd known for four years in many moods, but not in this one.

Out on the grass, Kate had tackled Jack and the two of them wrestled on the ground. After a few moments they drew apart, and sat facing each other, talking.

Teal'c watched them, a trace of a smile on his lips. "I shall get your water, JacobCarter, and your soda, MajorCarter," he said finally, and headed for the coolers.

"Jack's full of surprises," Jacob commented, stepping near Sam and speaking quietly.

"Did you know about his family...before, I mean?" Sam murmured.

"If I said yes, would I be in big trouble?"

"Oh, yeah!"

"Well, I _was_ based at the Pentagon before I 'retired' you know. I've known General Stewart for years, but I didn't know there was a connection to Jack until shortly after you both came to Washington two years ago. It came up in casual conversation—but I really didn't pay attention. I pretty much forgot about it."

Just then Teal'c returned with water for Jacob and diet cola for Sam.

The door to the sunroom opened and Daniel and the Littlefields were ushered out onto the patio by Susanna. General Stewart turned to welcome them. Sam went to hug Catherine and Ernest.

Daniel was glancing around the patio.

"She's over there talking to the Colonel," Sam whispered in his ear from behind him.

He jumped in surprise. "Geez, Sam..." He looked out on the lawn where she indicated. Jack and Kate were seated cross-legged on the grass some distance from the patio. "They probably have a lot to catch up on."

Catherine and Susanna seemed to make an instant connection. Sam saw the two women talking and laughing like old friends only a little while after Catherine arrived. They waved Sam over to join them, and with one more quick glance at Kate and Jack, Daniel followed.

Ernest gravitated to where General Hammond, Jacob and Teal'c were standing, and was quickly included in their conversation. General Stewart joined them a few minutes later.

Soon dinner was announced. Jack and Kate rejoined the group, and everyone was seated. The food was excellent and the conversation animated and interesting. The evening progressed pleasantly. Susanna and David were excellent hosts and Sam enjoyed their company very much.

It grew dark, and lights came on around the patio. Daniel and Kate wandered off after a little while and sat on the edge of the deck talking. Ernest and Catherine were seated in the easy chairs, talking with Sue and David. Jacob, Teal'c and General Hammond were deep in conversation—probably something about tactics and strategy!

Sam was about to join the Stewarts and Littlefields, when she noticed O'Neill alone out on the lawn, sitting on a bench under large red oak tree. On impulse, she grabbed two beers from the cooler and walked out to join him.

"Hi, sir." She stopped in front him, offering one of the bottles.

He raised his head and she thought she caught a wistful look in his eyes before he smiled at her. He took the bottle. "Hey, Carter. Thanks. Do you want to sit?"

"Thank you, sir." She seated herself beside him. "Your parents are lovely people. It was very kind of them to invite us here this evening."

He glanced at her almost warily. "Yeah. They're great. Uh... You're not here to bug me cause I never said anything about them?"

She smiled. "Honestly, sir? I thought about it. But, no. It's just too pleasant here and they're too nice."

He relaxed a little. "Sweet. Mmm... I don't suppose you wanna go one step further and drop the 'sir' for the evening?"

"Sure—Colonel," she said with a grin.

He dropped his head and laughed wryly. "Come on, Sam."

She gave in. "Okay. Jack. But don't hold it against me if I slip up."

"I promise."

There was a short, comfortable pause.

"Daniel and Kate seem to be getting on well," Sam said finally, breaking the silence.

Jack looked over to where they were sitting. "They are, aren't they?" He glanced at Sam. "I wasn't really angry at Danny this afternoon, y'know."

"I know that. So does he." She grinned. "He was yanking your chain a bit, too. I never thought of you as a big brother, s...er, Jack. Is she your only sibling?"

"Yep. I was sixteen when she was born. So I was a really big brother!"

"Was it fun having a baby sister?"

He smiled. "Yeah. It was, actually. Especially after she was a few months old. Course, I left home when she was three."

"Oh?"

"That's when I joined the Air Force." His voice turned thoughtful. "I came home as often as I could, but I still missed a lot. The first day at school..." He trailed off.

He looked very sad all at once, and Sam had a sudden insight—he wasn't just talking about Kate. He was talking about Charlie. She was floundering in her mind, trying to think of something to say, when he went on.

"I was there when she graduated the Academy, though," he said, with a faint smile. "Y'know, I tried to talk her out of joining the Air Force."

"Why was that?"

"Kate's like our Mom. She's really smart." He glanced at her. "Like you, Sam. When she was a kid she wanted to be a doctor. I kind of got hooked on the idea, and tried to encourage her. I wanted her to go to medical school instead of the Academy. Of course, she did what _she_ wanted." He leaned back, and took a long drink from his beer bottle. "She'll eventually figure out what it is we do, you know. Especially if she talks to Daniel long enough. She already knows the deep space radar tele-phony is just that—_phony!_"

"Daniel won't say anything."

"Not on purpose, he won't. But she remembers _everything_. And she's overheard a lot of clues from Pop and me. And someday she's just likely to put them all together."

He stopped talking then, and drank the rest of his beer.

They sat quietly, watching Daniel and Kate, and the others, for a long time, until Catherine and Ernest announced that it was time for them to go back to their hotel.

Sue offered to have Mrs. Mallory call them a cab, and at that point General Hammond asked if she could make it two, as he and his team had to be up for an early flight. Jack announced that he was staying at his parents' for the night, and would meet them at the airport in the morning.

After many thank-yous and good-byes, the seven of them; Ernest and Catherine, Daniel, Sam, Teal'c, General Hammond and Jacob, piled into the two taxis and left for the hotels.

**xXx**


	7. Chapter 7

**I'm sorry for the delay posting this chapter. I got hit with the 48 hour bug this week, and have been in bed for the past 3 days. MAN those little viruses are nasty!**

**Okay, this is a sappy chapter. Seriously, pure fluff. I admit it. Now that I've re-read it I can't believe I wrote it like this. But I like Kate and Susanna, and they both love Jack. So, here it is. **

**xXx**

After their guests were gone, Jack and his family gathered in the den to visit. Jack brought in bottles of Guinness for himself and Kate. Both Susanna and David had tall glasses of iced tea. Jack got comfortable on the sofa with his feet up on the coffee table—this being the only room where he was allowed to do that! David and Sue were in the matching recliners, and Kate was perched on the arm of the sofa. There were a few minutes of quiet as everyone relaxed.

Soon Kate set down her half empty bottle and excused herself, disappearing toward the kitchen. A few minutes later she returned carrying a cake with one large lighted birthday candle. Kate, Jack and the General sang 'Happy Birthday' to Sue. Presents were produced—reservations for a weekend in New York including tickets to the Met from David, a pair of gold earrings set with moonstones from Kate, and from Jack a new briefcase made by a leather craftsman in Colorado Springs whose work Sue had admired in the past. She was delighted with all the gifts, and thanked each of them with a hug and kiss.

Soon afterward Mrs. Mallory came in to let them know that the staff was finished for the night, and would be leaving shortly. On behalf of them all, she wished Dr. Johnstone a happy birthday.

"It's great to have everybody home for your birthday, Mom," Kate said with a grin, as she finished the last of her cake.

"It's wonderful to have you both here whatever the reason," Sue said. She also took her last bite of cake, and set the plate aside. "Especially you, Jon. Your schedule seems to be a lot more erratic than the rest of us, now that Kate is here in DC. How did you manage this?"

"Pure serendipity," he told her. "General Hammond announced yesterday morning that we were coming for the medal ceremony." He glanced over at David. "Did you know about that ahead of time, Pop?"

"I found out this morning. The President's secretary called first thing. About an hour before you called me."

"You didn't say anything when you called me, Jon," Sue scolded.

"I wanted to tell you in person. I didn't realize until you mentioned it that you'd be at the White House today. But I got to surprise you anyway." He grinned.

"Yes," she smiled. "And a very nice surprise it was, too. Plus we got to meet all your friends! What very interesting people, Jon! And the members of your team are everything you claimed they were. I can understand why you're all so close."

"Thanks for having everybody over," Jack said. "They're like my second family."

"And yet you never told them about us," Kate put in.

He looked somewhat sheepish. "Yeah. I'm probably gonna catch some flak over that. It's just—it's hard, y'know. We're usually very focused on the job we're doing. Nobody really talks about their personal lives much."

"Well, if they follow _your _lead, they surely don't," she quipped.

"Kate," Sue said softly.

She put up her hands. "Sorry, Mom. Didn't mean anything."

"No," Jack put in. "You're right, Kate. I don't encourage it. But I don't stop them. I'm sure Carter and Daniel talk together about personal stuff. Murray—well, he doesn't talk much anyway." He chuckled. "He says more with an eyebrow than most of us could with an encyclopedia." The others smiled. They had noticed the big black man's taciturnity. "He's very wise, though," Jack added. "I guess you could call him an old soul."

"Oh," Kate said. "That's a surprising descriptive, coming from you. Where's his home, anyway?"

"His home's with us now. He comes from one of those unstable African nations," Jack said easily, quoting the cover story. "I never can keep them straight. He was a commander of troops for a dictator. One day he decided he didn't support that regime any longer. So now he's here."

"That must have been really hard for him, to make that decision," Sue commented. "To leave his home."

"Yeah. I'm sure it was," Jack agreed.

When they had finished the cake, General Stewart got to his feet. "Jack, could I have a few words with you."

"Sure." Jack rose and followed Stewart from the room.

**xXx**

The General waved Jack into his office and shut the door.

"Is something wrong, sir?" Jack asked, recognizing his step-father's 'Chief of Staff' persona.

"I just want to ask you a couple of questions about your last mission, Jack. Sit down."

"Of course. What do you need to know?" Jack ran over that mission in his mind quickly. Carter had gone to help Thor hold off the replicators that where threatening the Asgaard planet, while Jack, Daniel and Teal'c went to deal with replicators that had infested a Russian submarine.

"I've read the reports, of course," Stewart replied. "They say that just a few—maybe even only one—of the replicators survived from the Asgaard ship that you crashed into the ocean. And yet within a few days they were able to infest the Russian sub and kill the crew. Is that correct?"

"Yes, sir. That's correct."

David sat down on the leather couch and motioned for Jack to join him. "How's that possible? The rescue team said the sub was filled with the little buggers."

"Yes, sir, it was. Believe me, I know. They were crawling all over it when Teal's and I boarded the sub with the recon team. We couldn't see them at first, but we could hear them—their little metal feet chittering in the walls." Jack suppressed a shiver. "They'd made an extra-large bug that was turning out the replicator blocks as fast as I could count. Daniel called it a queen—a 'mother-bug.' You could see the new blocks coming together to form new bugs—each one took less than a minute."

"Mother-bug," David repeated. "Damn."

"Yes."

"So that's how they made so many more so fast."

"Yes, sir. They killed the other two members of the recon team. I figured Teal'c and I were goners, too."

"That's when the Asgaard beamed you out."

"Yep."

David put a hand on his step-son's shoulder. "I saw the videos taken from your cameras on the sub."

Jack gave him a startled look. "God. I'm sorry. I didn't realize..."

"Christ, Jack. Don't ever tell your mother about things like this."

"I never would, Pop. Never," he promised. "Even if she had the clearance."

Stewart wiped a hand across his face. "You and your team have certainly earned those medals."

He changed the subject then, and the two of them talked about more mundane things.

**xXx**

Susanna was sitting at her computer in the den, looking over a file, when Jack returned.

"Hey, Mom." He leaned down and kissed her cheek. "Whatcha doin'?"

"Catching up on my patients. Did you and David have a nice talk?"

"Oh yeah." He sat on the sofa and she turned her chair around to face him.

"Is anything wrong, darling?" she asked, noticing the sober expression on his face.

"No, Mom. Just a little shop talk—that's all." He glanced around. "So where did Katy get off to?"

"She went up to take a shower. Said she'd be down in about twenty minutes."

"Okay." He settled in and leaned back, crossing his legs. "Anything new since I was here a few weeks ago?"

"Not really. It's nice to have Kate home since she's been transferred here, to the Pentagon. I'm sure she told you all about it."

"Yeah, she emailed me. That's great. She'll be close by. Is she gonna live at home?"

"I think she'll look for a place of her own. Of course she's welcome to stay here as long as she wants, but it probably won't be permanent. She won't want Mom and Dad looking over her shoulder." Susanna smiled at the thought. "I believe she's happy about the transfer, although I know she liked California."

"I'm glad she'll be back here. She can look after you guys."

She rolled her eyes at him. "Really, Jon. We certainly don't need 'looking after'!"

He grinned. "Oh, I know that. I just mean I feel better that she'll be around, just in case."

Kate came downstairs a few minutes later dressed in lounge pants and tee, her hair damp from the shower. Stewart came out of his office and the four of them sat and talked for a while longer. Around 10.30, Sue and David said good night and headed upstairs to bed.

"I had Francis put your bag upstairs in your room, Jon," Sue told him.

"Thanks, Mom. I'll be going out early—our flight leaves at 0700. I should be away from here by 0545."

"All right," she told him, kissing his cheek. "Don't stay up all night, you two," she advised her offspring with a grin, knowing they would probably see dawn together. "Jon, maybe you should call tonight and order a cab for the morning."

"Good idea, Mom," he replied.

**xXx**

"So, how's your love-life, Katy?" Jack asked as she settled beside him on the sofa. He'd made his reservation for the taxi and she had brought them each another Guinness. "What's his name—Darryl? Is he still in the picture?"

"It's Darren, and no, he's not. We called it quits almost three months ago. Once we found out I was getting transferred back here to DC, it just kind of fizzled." She shrugged casually.

"You don't sound too broken up about it."

"Nope. I'm not. We had fun, but it was cooling off even before the transfer came up. He's a Southern California guy, and neither one of us was up for a cross-country relationship." She shifted her position a bit, drawing her legs closer. "So what about you? How's things in 'deep-space radar telemetry'?" Her tone showed what she thought of the cover.

"It's fine. Pretty much the same as last time we talked."

"You do realize that I don't believe a word of that story, don't you?" she asked with a grin. "How many Medals of Honor go to guys who look through telescopes?"

"Well, it's pretty tough work, y'know," he said. "Those telescopes get pretty feisty now and then!"

"Yeah, I'll bet!" She laughed, and then her expression softened. "I want you to know I'm really proud of you, big brother—whatever it is you actually do."

He looked faintly uncomfortable at the compliment, and smiled self-consciously. "And I want you to know that I would tell you, if I could. But it's..."

"Classified!" She almost sang the word. "Dad knows, doesn't he?"

Jack sighed. "I'm not even supposed to say that much."

"Okay. Something else then. Any woman in your life right now?"

He was caught off guard at the change of subject. "Uh...no!" he said. But he looked away as he said it, and of course, she noticed.

"You sure?" she teased. "You and Major Carter have been working together for three years now, and you talk about her a lot. Anything going on there?"

"No!" he said, too quickly, and avoided her eyes again. "I mean... she's my direct subordinate. You know the regulations as well as I do."

"Ahhh," she said softly. "But there are feelings—"

"Katy—don't go there."

"This is me, Jack," she teased with a grin. "You can't fool me, and you know it!" Finally, he met her gaze, and she could read his emotions in his eyes. Her expression softened. "I'm sorry, Jack," she said seriously.

He sighed. "Even if there weren't any regs, she... well, she's your age, Kate. Way too young for me. I'm sure she'll find someone better for herself. Younger. She'll forget about me."

"She feels the same way, then."

He shook his head. "Not really. It's just a crush—you know. She'll get over it. It doesn't matter. 'Cause it can't happen."

She moved over closer to him and hugged him. "I'm really sorry, Jack."

He hugged her back. After a few moments, he cleared his throat and sat up. "Let's talk about something else."

"Okay, "she said, giving him one more squeeze, and moving away a bit. "So... tell me all about Daniel!"

The incredulous look he gave her made her wish for a camera!

**xXx**

It was a few hours later, sometime around two a.m., when the conversation came back around to Jack's love-life. He and Kate were lying on their backs on the den floor. Both of them were more than a little drunk, and they'd decided together that the beers they'd just finished would be their last ones. They'd talked their way through a series of subjects; Kate's recent assignment to the Department of Defense, a lot of childhood memories, the concerns they both had because their parents were nearing their 70s, Jack's last visit to the cabin and the friends he'd seen at the time, and several other topics. Jack answered some of Kate's questions about Daniel, and teased her a little. The teasing brought on the next question...

"So you and Major Carter got a thing for each other, huh?" Kate tossed the query out casually, at the same time rolling over on her stomach so she could see his reaction.

She was surprised when he gave a small sigh and looked at her sadly. "She's way out of my league, Katy. Probably if we didn't work together she wouldn't even know I existed. She's so smart—I don't even understand what she's talking about half the time."

"Oh, no!" she objected. "You don't get to play dumb like that with me! You're plenty smart, Jack. You've done that stupid act all your life. Don't hand me that line."

His mouth quirked in a small smile. "Can't get nothin' past you, can I?"

"Nope. Never could."

"Yeah. Well." The smile faded. "It's not just that, though. Carter's just an amazing woman. She's funny, and kind, she's a great friend. She's loyal, and honest. Clever. A fantastic soldier—you should see her fight! Not to mention so beautiful it hurts sometimes to even look at her. Especially when she smiles..." He gave a hopeless shrug. "Even if there were no regs, what would somebody like that want with somebody like me?"

"Jack O'Neill!" Kate sat up and punched his arm.

"Ow! What's that for?" he protested.

"Just listen to yourself! Somebody like you? Why you're incredible! Every adjective you used to describe her, also applies to you, y'know. Kind, loyal, honest... even funny now and then. And every female friend I ever had thought you were just to die for! It's always been ridiculous how they drooled over you! Some of them were only my friends because they wanted to meet _you_."

"Katy... no," he objected, laughing self-consciously at her exaggeration.

"Yes! And I'm sure Sam has noticed, too—she'd have to be blind not to!"

He shook his head and put a finger across her mouth. "Shhh... Come on, kiddo, not so loud. You'll wake Mom and Pop. Besides, I'm nothin' like what you said..."

"Are you kidding, Jack?" She leaned over and rested her arms on his chest, so that she was staring straight down into his face. This time she spoke more quietly. "You are fantastic! You're good-looking and super-buff, and impressive as hell! I don't know why you have this screwed up image of yourself. You're gonna hafta get over that."

He frowned and narrowed his eyes. "You're drunk, little sister..."

"Yeah, I guess," she shot back. "And so are you."

"Yeah. Obviously," he admitted. "Or we wouldn't be havin' this conversation." Even when he was drunk he never talked this freely, however. It was her—Kate. He could never keep anything from her. And as if to prove it, he kept going; "But Carter's so young—just about your age, Kate..."

"And I'm a grown woman, Jack! Nearly thirty years old. I've had plenty of practice making up my own mind about what's good for me and what's not. I know what I want. And I'll just bet she does, too."

"Well I don't think she wants me. In spite of..." He stopped.

"In spite of what?"

"Nothing," he said. She glared at him and he found himself telling her. "There's this sort of... feeling between us. A kind of tension. Sometimes we flirt, y'know. And she gets this look in her eye... Once when she was... uh... sick"—_the Broca virus was a sickness_—"she... she came on to me, tried to... uh, you know."

"No. I don't know. Tell me."

He reddened. "She said... said she wanted me—but she was sick, Katy. Out of her mind."

"Sometimes that's when a person is most honest, Jack."

"Afterward, she avoided me for a while. She obviously regretted doing what she did. She knew it was just the fever..."

"I'll bet she was just embarrassed!" Kate sat up straighter. "Listen to me. Maybe you're right and Sam doesn't feel the same way you do—I really don't know. But, if that's so, it _isn't_ because you aren't worth it! You have got so much going for you, big brother. You're the most caring person I know. God, you take care of _everybody!_ And you're not dumb. You're all those great things I said before—loyal and sweet, honest, clever—not to mention gorgeous... Damn, if you weren't my brother, _I'd_ be trying to get you into my bed!"

He laughed in genuine amusement, and that made Kate smile, because for years it had been rare to see Jack with full-blown laughter in his face. His dark eyes sparkled with it, and she truly wondered how any woman could possibly resist him.

"My god, you _are really_ drunk!" he exclaimed. "You are so good for me, do you know that?" A wide smile was still spread across his features.

"Same goes here, too," she said. "I've missed you so much. I hope we get to see each other more often now that I'm in DC. Now that it's only one trip for you to visit all of us."

He put his arms around her and hugged her close. "I've missed you, too. And it's time we got some sleep. I've got to get up in just a few hours. Thanks, Katy. I love you."

"I love you, too, Jacky."

**xXx**

Jack met Hammond and SG1 at the airport at 0630 the next morning, looking tired, but smiling and relaxed. When Daniel commented, Jack admitted that he and Kate had stayed up most of the night talking. To Sam, Daniel whispered that Jack looked as happy as he'd ever seen him, and she agreed. On the plane, Jack put a pillow behind his head and closed his eyes. Sam was sure he was asleep before their wheels were off the ground.

—finis—

**xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx**

**A/N**** I've had the Rose Garden scene, the Medal presentations idea, sort of running around in my head for quite a while. A project I was working on had me looking up the history of the White House Rose Garden. I'm a genealogist, and one of the family lines I was following turns out to be connected in a remote way to First Lady Ellen Wilson (wife of President Woodrow Wilson), who established the Rose Garden in 1913. So as I was digging into the history, my imagination ran off in a different direction, and this story started to develop. **

**A/N 2**** I've always been curious about Jack's background. Who were his mom and dad? Where are they now? So this is my version of who his parents might be. **

**I've read several FF's which introduced members of his family. I especially recommend the piece, "What will the Future Hold?" by Fems, which I discovered last year. Great story! Wonderful family she's created for Jack! You'll love it!**

**A/N 3**** If you've made it through all my author's notes I really appreciate you! I promise this is the last one!**

**Kate took on a life of her own as I was writing this. Sometimes characters do that. I hope you like her. Maybe I'll fit her into a future story. **

**I got so interested in Susanna that I decided to start working on a back story about how she met Jack's father, and one about Jack growing up. So maybe those will appear before too many moons! I'd love it if some of you are interested enough to take a look 'when/if' I get them posted!**

**Thank you all for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!**


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